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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28114512">Fraternization</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenwillow/pseuds/greenwillow'>greenwillow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Top of the Class [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last Kingdom (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, GET IT AETHELFLAED, Secret Relationship, Shower Sex, Teacher-Student Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:08:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28114512</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenwillow/pseuds/greenwillow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aethelred continues to be an insufferable student. Aldhelm and Aethelflaed continue their secret relationship. Everything is perfectly casual, of course.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aethelflaed Lady of Mercia/Aldhelm (The Last Kingdom)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Top of the Class [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048940</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fraternization</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This AU will continue to get more and more self indulgent and ridiculous...enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So you’ll review the lecture on Magna Carta, and we’ll split grading the second round of papers, yes?”</p><p>Pyrlig’s cheerful voice startles Aldhelm out of his reverie.</p><p>“Yes, of course,” he says, refocusing on the laptop he has balanced on his legs.</p><p>They’re sitting in their shared office, Pyrlig in his rolling chair, one knee bouncing with the other ankle on top. Aldhelm is hunched over his computer on the floor. His corner desk barely fits in the room, which had definitely been intended for one teacher, not two.</p><p>“That’s all we need to cover until next week when exam prep begins. I want to make a few changes to last year’s questions, I’d like your input.”</p><p>Aldhelm nods. “Absolutely.”</p><p>There’s a knock at the open door. Hild, a young biology professor, pokes her head in. She’s pulling her shoulder-length blond hair into a ponytail, and she’s switched out her trademark plimsolls for loafers.</p><p>“I thought I might find you two still here. You do remember there’s an all-faculty meeting in ten minutes?”</p><p>They had completely lost track of time. It isn’t unusual for Pyrlig, but Aldhelm typically managed to keep him to some kind of schedule.</p><p>He snaps his laptop closed and unfolds himself to a standing position, shaking one foot slightly as it had nearly fallen asleep.</p><p>Hild is already on her way back down the hall. “Ten minutes!” she repeats in that subtly commanding tone of hers.</p><p>“I will be glad when this new provost settles down a bit,” Prylig grumbles as they make their way over a moment later. “We’ve had three meetings already this term, and it’s not even October yet.”</p><p>Aldhelm had not been on the faculty long, but he has to admit the frequent meetings have rather disrupted his preferred schedule. They don’t provide much information he couldn't otherwise have gathered, and they appear to be an excuse for the social event which follows more than anything else. As much as Aldhelm enjoys his job generally, he has not found himself craving additional time with the other staff, particularly not when the only other incentive is cheap wine and a lackluster crudités platter.</p><p>“Perhaps Odda’s stern looks will make him reconsider,” he suggests.</p><p>Pyrlig chuckles. Odda has a habit of standing squarely in the back of the room with his arms folded, staring, until the meeting finishes.</p><p>When they arrive in the lecture hall, Pyrlig goes to sit next to his tenured colleagues and Aldhelm takes the seat Hild has saved for him up front.</p><p>“Not like you to be late,” she reiterates without looking up from her planner.</p><p>“Very busy week,” Aldhelm says somewhat apologetically. He’s not apologizing to Hild, but rather to himself.</p><p>“Everything all right with you?” she asks casually.</p><p>“Yes, quite,” he replies, almost touched.</p><p>Hild had joined the faculty a few years ago and as of late had taken Aldhelm under her wing. She occasionally drops by the office after Pyrlig has gone home for the day with baked goods or a meal under the guise of having made too much for just herself and her girlfriend. Aldhelm appreciates her kindness, particuarly given that he is not often inclined to cook himself.</p><p>“I only ask because I haven’t seen you on campus as much lately.”</p><p>She’s right. Lately, Aldhelm has been a bit nervous about running into any other faculty or students more than necessary. As if they might guess his secret. He doesn’t have real moral qualms about the situation in truth. Aethelflaed is going to get high marks whether or not they sleep together, and at any rate he isn't wholly responsible for her grades. But if discovered, it could negatively impact both their careers. The risks, it could be argued, outweigh the benefits. And yet, he has no intention of ending things prematurely. He believes it’s always best to let relationships of any type run their course. When his relationship, if he is to call it that, with Aethelflaed meets its natural end they will go their separate ways. Killing something prematurely was as nonsensical as putting it on life support.</p><p>“I’ve found it a bit distracting being on campus lately,” he finally supplies.</p><p>Hild nods as if it’s a satisfactory enough answer, and the provost calls the meeting to order.</p><p>It isn’t entirely a lie. When Aethelflaed is also on campus Aldhelm certainly finds himself quite distracted.</p><p>He had of course unearthed his faculty handbook when he’d gotten home that first night—it had been buried under a collection of student bulletins from his undergraduate years that he hadn’t yet disposed of for some reason. Hazards of not having moved in several years, along with living quite close to some undergraduate student housing.</p><p>Teacher-student socialization was discouraged except in academic settings. Teacher-student fraternization, as it was termed, was forbidden in cases where the teacher was responsible for the student’s grades. The thought did cross his mind that Aethelflaed was not likely to take another history class, let alone another one of Pyrlig’s, therefore in the matter of a few months, the issue would be non-existent. But of course, the affair was not likely to last that long.</p>
<hr/><p>Aethelflaed is already in her seat when he arrives in class on Friday, head bent over her notebook—writing the date and cross-referencing last week’s notes with her syllabus, no doubt. There are two other students in the front row engaged in lively conversation so he allows himself a glance back at her. She looks up, seeming to feel his eyes on her, and her mouth pulls into a faint smile. Aldhelm immediately drops his gaze and keeps his face as stony as he can, though he can feel the color rising in his cheeks slightly.</p><p>He and Aethelflaed slept together twice more after their first encounter—he’d come over Sunday, and the following Tuesday when they’d both needed a break. They had dinner together Tuesday as well, though she’d exiled him (graciously) on Sunday, having scheduled a law study session. She seemed to think that as long as they had more sex than meals together, things would stay sufficiently casual. As for Aldhelm, he is sure she’ll tire of a relationship that needs to be maintained in secrecy sooner or later, but for now, he has no complaints. Well, virtually none. Really just the one.</p><p>Her ex-boyfriend.</p><p>“May I have a moment?”</p><p>He recognizes the voice before he looks up. Aethelred is standing beside him, one hand pushing his hair (slightly too long) back, the other gripping the handle of an ugly, very shiny, and no doubt expensive briefcase.</p><p>“After class may be better,” Aldhelm says with a glance at his watch.</p><p>“It won't take long,” Aethelred replies confidently, and to Aldhelm’s great discomfort he produces his presentation from the previous week and lays it over Aldhelm’s keyboard.</p><p>“I think you may have made a mistake, sir,” he continues, his tone aggressively jovial.</p><p>Aldhelm glances at the grade on top (42%) and flips through each page perfunctorily hoping that would satisfy him. “No, no mistake.”</p><p>There are a full two pages of handwritten notes clipped to the end of the paper. He wonders if Aethelred had bothered to peruse them.</p><p>Aethelred’s face grows slightly pale and he accepts the paper back.</p><p>“If you'd like to talk after class,” Aldhelm offers, unable to stop himself, “I’m free until 5:00.”</p><p>5:00 is a somewhat arbitrary deadline, but he supposes he ought to provide one.</p><p>Aethelred, very clearly unhappy with this response, gives him a tight nod and moves to the third row.</p><p>Between attempting to ignore Aethelred’s scowl and trying to keep his eyes off Aethelflaed for the next hour, this is certainly one of the worse lectures Aldhelm has given in his career so far.</p><p>Aethelred continues to glower at him for the remainder of the class. When Aldhelm concludes the lecture Aethelflaed files out among the rest of the students. Her lack of eye contact is notable only to him.</p><p>Aldhelm takes an opportunity to clean the chalkboard as the classroom clears, doing his best not to manifest the physical symptoms of a deep sigh too obviously. He is somewhat more meticulous in returning the chalk to its proper place than usual. Wiping his hands on his trousers and instantly regretting it he turns round to see Aethelred standing by his desk, paper again in hand.</p><p>“I’m afraid I don’t understand, sir,” he begins, an alarming number of teeth visible. “I know this is probably not the <em>best</em> paper you received—“</p><p>Definitively not.</p><p>“—but a D!”</p><p>Unbelievable. He was lucky he’d been granted a passing grade at all.</p><p>“I don't know if you know this,” Aethelred says, his voice becoming even more insufferable, “but this course is somewhat important for my degree, and…well, I’m expected to graduate with some type of honors, you see. The family legacy, and whatnot.”</p><p>Of course. Aethelred is the only student ever to have been in such a predicament.</p><p>Aldhelm does his best not to roll his eyes.</p><p>“If you’d like, I’d be happy to go over the notes I made on your arguments.”</p><p>It had taken him several hours to compile those notes—most of which time he’d been staring into the distance having an existential crisis—so why not sink more time into an almost certainly futile task.</p><p>Aethelred shakes his head in an irritated fashion, ruffling the curls that frame either side of his face. Is that really a hairstyle that works, thinks Aldhelm again.</p><p>“You’re not understanding me, sir. I don’t need your expertise, I need your understanding.” He emphasizes both the words <em>expertise</em> and <em>understanding</em> in a way that Aldhelm does not entirely like.</p><p>Aldhelm narrows his eyes. “I’m not sure I follow.”</p><p>He’s hoping he doesn’t, anyway.</p><p>Aethelred slips a hand in his pocket and shrugs one shoulder in what Aldhelm assumes is meant to be a charming fashion.</p><p>“I would certainly like to see progress in the career of a man who’s…helped me to succeed.”</p><p>Aldhelm clenches his jaw.</p><p>“You know that my father is on the college board of trustees, I assume?” continues Aethelred casually. “His word carries quite a bit of influence with the hiring committee. I assume at some point you’d like to be considered for an associate position.”</p><p>He speaks so cheerfully that Aldhelm almost thinks he’s misinterpreting the situation. But there is a hard edge beneath Aethelred’s controlled demeanor, and it’s quite unsettling.</p><p>“I am afraid this grade is non-negotiable,” Aldhelm replies stiffly, drawing himself up a little taller.</p><p>Aethelred does not like that answer at all, nor, Aldhelm is fairly sure, does he like being reminded that Aldhelm is several inches taller than him. A sneer begins to pull at the corners of his mouth.</p><p>“I am sorry to hear you are so short-sighted in your career outlook, sir.”</p><p>Aldhelm huffs a laugh. He does not know what else to do.</p><p>“I’ll be bringing this to Pyrlig, and the academic advisory board.”</p><p>“Pyrlig oversees each of your grades,” Aldhelm is compelled to point out, “and the advisory board can’t overturn a grade without cause.”</p><p>Aethelred merely smirks. “You will regret this, sir.” He delivers the last word as an insult and saunters from the room, paper clenched in his fist.</p><p>It takes Aldhelm a moment to gather his thoughts. He has just been threatened by a student…but there is a first time for everything. He can’t help but think it will happen again. After all, his career is just getting started.</p><p>He remembers to check his phone after a moment. Aethelflaed had texted him fifteen minutes earlier.</p><p>
  <em>Come over?</em>
</p><p><em>On my way, </em>he texts back.</p><p>Her place is on the way to his own, so he’s usually not too worried about being seen until he reaches the entrance to her building. Once he’s close he glances back to make sure there’s no one who might recognize him, then rings her flat. She buzzes him up right away.</p><p>The door is unlocked when he arrives, though he can hear the shower running.</p><p>He leaves his bag on the dining table (which seems to get very little use as such, in his limited experience) and shrugs out of his jacket. The door to the bathroom is open and he can see the outline of her figure through the fog that’s begun to form on the glass panel.</p><p>“How was Aethelred?” she calls.</p><p>“Horrible,” he replies, loosening his tie and beginning to unbutton his shirt.</p><p>He’s sure she’s quietly laughing behind the sound of the shower.</p><p>“I can't help but feel partially responsible,” she continues.</p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p>“I may have helped him with one too many assignments first year. Perhaps he would have gotten kicked out by now.”</p><p>“Afraid not,” Aldhelm says, sitting to remove his shoes and socks. “He was careful to remind me his father pays my salary.”</p><p>He can hear her groan over the cascade of water as he slips out of his trousers. He can't help but chuckle. The Aethelflaed he’s become acquainted with recently can have very little in common with the Aethelflaed who put up with first-year Aethelred.</p><p>When he steps in to join her she smiles widely and gives him a long, deep kiss. The kind of kiss that seems to reset his brain to factory settings. He has to work to remember they’ve been here before.</p><p>Two weeks ago if someone had told Aldhelm he’d been engaging in this type of activity with a student he would have been quite skeptical. The fact that he currently is at peace with the situation himself, at least temporarily, is somewhat troubling but it’s not a topic he prefers to think on until he’s alone.</p><p>She adjusts the water a bit warmer—it’s quite a nice shower, he’s realized—and turns towards him. Her long hair, now dark brown, clings to the contours of her back and shoulders. The water beads on her face, her breasts, her hips. She’s standing directly underneath the showerhead, and as he slides into it to kiss her back a bit of water runs into their mouths.</p><p>“I thought he’d trapped you there,” she remarks, shielding her eyes from the water.</p><p>“Can we place a moratorium on the ex-boyfriend talk in this particular location?”</p><p>She laughs, tipping her head back. She’s squinting up at him now, and he’s sure he’s smiling like an idiot, but he doesn't care.</p><p>“Very well,” she says, raising her chin, “But you’d better make it worth my while.”</p><p>She’s backed against the tile wall now, and he leans over her with one arm posted above her. Her eyes are wide, mouth slightly open, and he’s kissing her again, fixated on the task at hand yet unable to ignore how utterly she needs to be kissed.</p><p>He skims a hand over her shoulder, then down her back until he rests it at her hip. She’s turned her head to the side, catching her breath, and he presses a kiss to her clavicle.</p><p>She catches his eye and grins, then turns her back to him. He takes advantage of that angle to slip his arm around her and reach her cunt. He’s hard and pressed against her now, and she moans appreciatively as he begins his work. He’s grateful both for the way she responds to his touch and the presence of her non-slip shower mat.</p>
<hr/><p>Aethelflaed’s flat is in an old building, but the interior has been redecorated in quite a modern fashion. It’s neat and well furnished. There are no walls in the main living area (which is as large as his entire flat), just a large beam running from one end to the other for support. The walls are painted a soft white, and she has plush carpeting laid over the wood floor at multiple points.</p><p>Her furniture is mostly in the midcentury style, some very fine vintage pieces as far as Aldhelm can tell. There’s a large oil painting hanging over the couch, a present from her father, which Aethelflaed mentions offhand is an original Sargent—“just a study,” she makes sure to add as if that was any less impressive.</p><p>She’s grown up with money, but she does have taste as well. Her style is not especially unique but neither is it gaudy. It suits her. And her flat is perfectly curated to be a space for her and her alone. She does not have friends over often these days, she tells him. She prefers to have a place where she can focus on her studies. She does not say it, but he does feel that his presence there is somewhat exceptional in how welcome she does her best to make him feel.</p><p>He has, to this point, felt most welcome in the bedroom between the hours of 4:00 and 7:00—which is not a criticism, merely an accurate description.</p><p>She’s sitting at her vanity with a towel in her hair, her robe slightly falling off her shoulders. He watches from the bed, hands behind his head, a towel wrapped around his waist.</p><p>It’s quite a domestic scene, he thinks, as she taps some moisturizer under her eyes. He then immediately reminds himself that such thoughts are not helpful.</p><p>“You’re frowning,” she says, glancing at him via the mirror.</p><p>“Thinking about my dissertation,” he lies.</p><p>“Hmmm.” She presses the water from her hair and sets the towel aside, then turns to face him. “I’m thinking about dinner.”</p><p>He raises an eyebrow. “Will I be permitted to stay, or would you prefer I go?”</p><p>Her mouth twitches into a smile and she crosses to the bed. “I was going to take the night off from being a student, actually.”</p><p>“I had thought that was the entire appeal to you,” he murmurs, pulling her towards him.</p><p>“Not the <em>entire</em> appeal, no,” she replies with a look that would have stopped his heart if such a thing were possible. She’s curled over him as he reclines on the pillows, and he’s caressing her shoulder. “I have grown rather fond of your company.”</p><p>It’s probably best if they don’t speak further on it, so he kisses her and they lose themselves in each other for a moment again.</p><p>A few hours after dinner (he had been permitted to pay this time) they’re side by side on the couch and she’s falling asleep on his shoulder. Caught between the desire to stay and the knowledge that he should leave, he does his best not to dwell on the former. When he finally summons the will to move she stirs and grabs his arm.</p><p>“Don’t,” she murmurs.</p><p>He hesitates, not sure if she’s truly awake.</p><p>Her eyes flutter open for a moment.</p><p>“Don’t go,” she repeats. Her cheeks are slightly flushed with sleep, and the weight of her head on his shoulder is nicer than most other sensations he’s enjoyed in his life.</p><p>“You want me to stay?”</p><p>She nods and rubs her eyes.</p><p>“If you insist…but you’re sure to ruin your back if you try to sleep out here. I’m past the point of no return, unfortunately, but you can still be saved.”</p><p>“No more talking,” she murmurs back, smiling faintly.</p><p>She makes no movement towards the bed, so instead, he lifts her in his arms and carries her there.</p><p>It’s silly, he thinks, as her body curves into his, to assign this activity—or, lack thereof—greater weight than the hours they’d already spent engaging in more athletic pursuits. Are you really guaranteed to grow closer to someone if you’re unconscious in the time you spend together? He will convince himself the answer is “no,” by the time he’s finally able to fall asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed you can reblog the photoset and playlist <a href="https://aadmelioraa.tumblr.com/post/637699485830643713/aadmelioraa-modern-au-college-au">here.</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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